More 2nd MAW warfighters return

Photo By Cpl. Scott L. Tomaszycki | Cpl. Francisco E. Agostolopez reunites with his family Tuesday morning at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, following a six-month deployment to Afghanistan. While deployed, Agostolopez said social media and video chat allowed him to continue to watch his young children grow.
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CHERRY POINT, NC, UNITED STATES

02.28.2012

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. — More than 100 Marines with Marine Air Control Squadron 2 returned to Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, Feb. 28, after a six-month deployment to Afghanistan.

For many of the returning Marines, family readiness was key throughout the deployment.

“It was my second deployment so I knew what was coming, and I prepared them as best I could,” said Cpl. Francisco E. Agostolopez, who reunited with his wife and stepdaughter. “We got ready for the time being apart with all the work and pressure that comes with it. I think we did a good job as a family.”

Agostolopez, a weather forecaster for MACS-2, said there were times he and his wife, Sarah, couldn’t communicate during the deployment, making it tough to handle tasks such as bills. But preparations before the deployment brought peace of mind for the family despite the separation.

“We took care of the little things like making sure the car is updated, the tags are updated, we gave the rent people the check and predated it so we wouldn’t have to worry about it,” said Sarah. “The bills were automatically taken out of the account. Those little things help. All I could do was focus on the kids, and I didn’t have to worry about other things.”

With everything in order at home, Agostolopez said a weight was taken off his shoulders, allowing him to stay focused during the deployment.

Social media, a web camera and a Wi-Fi connection were invaluable, said Agostolopez, who called home on video chat nearly every day, allowing his stepdaughter and 4-month old son to see him every day.

“The greatest part was knowing he was okay,” said Sarah. “He was able to see them grow and be part of the family even though he’s miles and miles and miles away.”